Ilan Grapel, 27, who holds both American and Israeli citizenship, was arrested in Cairo in June, suspected as an Israeli spy trying to sabotage the revolution in Egypt.

“The charges are completely fictitious. We said it right from the beginning. It has no bearing in reality,” Daniel Grapel said.

Ilan Grapel, who attends Emory Law School in Atlanta, had been an Israeli paratrooper. He was to spend the summer working for a refugee resettlement and legal aid organization when he was nabbed in Cairo.

“He certainly was not a spy, but he did present them with an opportunity. He’s an Israeli. There’s a lot of paranoia that goes on in the Middle East,” Rep. Ackerman said.

For the young man’s family it’s all good news, but his father said he won’t breathe a sigh of relief until his son sets foot in the U.S.

The Israeli government will convene a special security cabinet meeting Tuesday to approve the deal. Ilan Grapel is expected to be released on Thursday along with the more than two dozen Egyptian prisoners.